Gary Pickering is making the world a better place by donating a number of self-built, portable ‘micro-houses’ to Utah’s homeless people in an effort to help them survive the area’s harsh winter weather conditions. How’d he come up with that?
They say that necessity is the mother of invention. For Gary Pickering, years of being homeless and in need, himself, led him to an ingenious idea for creating miniature housing units to assist those in need. After going through a divorce in the 1980s, Pickering spent three years living out of a repair shop and getting to know the local homeless people who stayed in the industrial area, as well. He spoke with them about their needs and came to understand why why they avoided many of the local homeless shelters.
One day, after he had gotten back on his feet, Pickering happened to see a homeless man walking down the street in the Utah cold. Remembering his own needs and feeling some serious compassion, Gary went into his shop and built one of his small “survival pods” for the man like those you see here. There was no happy ending, though, “when I went to the find the man to give it to him,” he recalls, “I couldn’t find him again.”
This “failure” to provide for his fellow man led Gary on a quest to perfect a one person shelter that could be easily, cheaply, and quickly made for the local homeless population. After much trial and error, Pickering came up with a 4×8′ design that has enough room for a bed and a kerosene lamp. While the pod is certainly a viable commodity in a world that’s rapidly embracing extreme off-the-grid living and projects likethe tiny house blogandRenzo Piano’s Diogene, Gary isn’t doing this to make money, but to help. “I didn’t do this as a business, I don’t want a business. I want to inspire other people.”
皮克林制作DVD向人们展示如何为自己制作这些庇护所,他希望有能力制作这些庇护所的人能够这样做,并以某种信用的形式将它们提供给无家可归的人,这样他们就可以随着时间的推移支付庇护所的费用,这样人们就可以对它们产生一种所有权和自豪感。这也许不是《四季》,但当寒风刺骨,雪花飘飘的时候,这些逃生舱可以拯救成千上万的生命……而且,因为我知道乔想让我把这个和僵尸联系起来,我想一个食肉僵尸会跑过这些逃生舱,甚至不会考虑里面美味的食物。
Either way, people need shelter now, and the world would be a better place with more people like Gary Pickering (andMax Wallack, who, at age 12, built a very nice homeless shelter out of trash). You can find out more about Gary and his survival pods/homeless shelters in the video, below.
Sources | Photos:KSL Utah, viaHuffington Post.
Randy Salarssays
Great idea! Is there a way to contact him?
Drewsays
Where can I purchase the dvd instructions for this Tiny House Survival Pod?
ValPassays
This is a really good idea! And we all need to downsize in this country.
thosays
Just sit in a box while people torch you or use you for target practice. I’m sure the mental will be happy though.
Rupert_Pupkinsays
Don’t forget a slot for the Soylent Green crackers.
MintyFreshsays
why not just 3 sheets of plywood or cheaper waferboard to make a triangle side by side and a 4th sheet to create the end pieces? Some spray on undercoating tar to weatherproof the outside. Styrofoam sheets on the inside to insulate. 2×4 studs where the edges meet, (4×12.50)+(4×16)+(6×3)+25=waferboard,styrofoam,studs, waterproof spray or husky 6 mil 10×25 plastic sheet glued on,= $157.00 Hardware extra (screws, hinges, wheels if needed, screening, plastic glazing for some light and viewing purpose, etc. If the styrofoam is sufficient for waterproofing, then use on outside and save on cost of tar spray/ plastic wrap. Maybe styro in side on bottom piece.